From Ravings of John C. A. Bambenek
You can see the winning video here.
Sometimes the truth manages to slip out despite the left's best attempts to hide it. The video starts that there is no Social Security crisis. But then suggests a solution of removing the $90k cap (gee, didn't President Bush mention this one too?). Why suggest a solution to a non-problem? Perhaps, maybe, because there is one?
Lastly, and this has been mentioned elsewhere, gambling on a index fund isn't such a problem as people make it out to be. You won't be able to invest in stocks, just index funds, and let's be honest, if the Dow tanks (and by tank I mean go to 0) I think we're all screwed long before we hit retirement. That would mean essentially the biggest businesses just outright don't exist anymore with the attending fallout that would lead to (i.e. employment = 100%). Retirement won't be my chief concern then. Index funds are low fee funds, and even after 9/11 an index fund still produces profit over the long term. Most people plan their retirements with 401(k)s, and people hold them more secure by far than Social Security.
If MoveOn has to deceive about basic facts, then it is obvious they aren't contributing to the discussion and aren't interested in the problem. Why listen to what a deceiver has to say?
============
Dear MoveOn member,
In his nationally-televised prime time press conference, George W. Bush
showed his cards — embracing massive cuts in Social Security benefits
as part and parcel of Social Security privatization. Today, we're
announcing the winner of Bush in 30 Years — a grassroots contest to
find the best Macromedia Flash animation or game that explains the
Republicans' Social Security scam.
Lots of brilliant Flash animators worked long and hard, and they created
hilarious, bold entries. More than 140,000 MoveOn members voted to
decide the ten finalists. Our panel of celebrity judges — actor John
Cusack, comedian and radio host Al Franken, columnist Arianna
Huffington, filmmaker Richard Linklater, and animator Aaron McGruder —
chose a winner.
And the winner is..."If it ain't broke, don't privatize it!" by Andy
Menconi of San Francisco, California. Both the judges and MoveOn members
picked "If it ain't broke" as their favorite — a popular and critical
smash hit!
See the winning entry in our Bush in 30 Years contest at:
[snip link]
With subtle humor and clean visuals, "If it ain't broke" makes things
clear: Bush's private accounts will do nothing to strengthen Social
Security. Instead, they'll cut benefits and add trillions in new debt,
all to gamble on Wall Street with your retirement savings.
With your help, this animation could inspire tens of thousands of new
people to join the fight to protect Social Security. Help get your
friends, family, and co-workers involved by passing along this winning
animation today.
Watch the winner, then pass it along by clicking here:
[snip link]
Later this week, we'll advertise the winner on The New York Times
website and MySpace.com, a popular youth website, reaching millions of
people who are making up their minds about Social Security
privatization. You can help run those ads by donating at the link above.
The president has been campaigning hard to privatize Social Security
since his State of the Union address in January. That's nearly four
months of non-stop, election-style campaigning. Yet everywhere the
president goes, the poll numbers show that the public widely disapproves
of his proposal to cut benefits and privatize Social Security. This
looks like a win in the works — but we need to stay vigilant.
Thanks for all that you do.
Sincerely,
--Laura, Noah, Eli, Tom and the MoveOn PAC Team
Monday, May 9th, 2005
P.S. Please contribute to help pay for the web ads at:
[snip link]
PAID FOR BY MOVEON PAC
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Article comments
1 - Dave Nalle
I hear the folks at Moveon.org kee Joe Goebbels head in a jar in their office and it whispers to them in a lisping voice.
Dave
2 - RJ
The folks at MOO (MoveOn.Org) don't really care about things like "facts" or "reality." They exist solely to bash Bush and Republicans.
And the truth be damned...
3 - gonzo marx
Mr. Nalle sez..
*I hear the folks at Moveon.org kee Joe Goebbels*
yep..
Mr. Nalle..please in future refrain from indignation when someone else uses any terms related to the same political movement as the individual you are citing to describe action they find objectionable or as an analagous reference
next thing you know ya will be calling some demlican a chickenhawk...
heh...
as for the original Poster of the Article..
i guess BTP or someone will start cutting and pasting Limbaugh et al for effect..
but i doubt it...
at least the "Left" is funny...
your mileage may vary...
(to Mr. Nalle as a pleasant aside)
{8^P~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excelsior!
4 - Dave Nalle
>>Mr. Nalle..please in future refrain from indignation when someone else uses any terms related to the same political movement as the individual you are citing to describe action they find objectionable or as an analagous reference<<
Um. No. There's a difference between moveon.org's comparing Bush to Hitler and the suggestion that they have something in common with Goebbels. Goebbels was a brilliant propagandist. His spirit absolutely informs moveon.org in every way, and from there perspective that's not necessarily a negative thing. I didn't mean to suggest that they embrace Goebbels political philosophy, but there's no question they embrace his primary technique of the 'big lie'. The difference between comparing Bush and Hitler and moveon.org and Goebbels is that the similarity between Bush and Hitler is solely in the minds of the comparer, while the similarity between moveon.org and Goebbels is clear and obvious to anyone familiar with their work - their Bush = Hitler comparison being a perfect example of their Goebbelsian technique.
Dave
5 - gonzo marx
ah...i see...and here i had thought MoveOn had learned from Newt and Rove...
check..
Excelsior!
6 - Dave Nalle
Nothing Newt and Rove have done is comparable to what moveon.org does. Hell, we should be looking back on Newt as the good old days.
The key here is the lying and misrepresentation of fact. That's what moveon and Goebbels have in common. Ironically, based on his other posts, they share that with the author of the article that started this thread.
Yes, there are people on the right who are just as bad - Donald Wildmon and that loon from the National Day of Prayer, for example. But Rove and Newt aren't in their league. They're specificially isolated from that part of the Republican propaganda machine in the same way Howard Dean is from moveon.org.
Dave
7 - Mark Saleski
you've gotta be kidding (yes, we know you're not), Rove based an entire presidential campaign on misrepresentation of fact.
8 - Dave Nalle
Mark, let's see some of the 'big lies' from the campaign explicated. No one else has been able to do it successfully without misrepresenting things Bush actually said, and I doubt you'll do any better.
Dave
9 - Mark Saleski
you'll note that i did not use the words 'big lies'.
misrepresentation.
there was plenty of it.
well-documented during the campaign at factcheck.org.
also relevant: the kerry campaign did the same danged thing.
10 - gonzo marx
Mr. Nalle sez..
*The key here is the lying and misrepresentation of fact.*
to misquote Sting
"I want my WMD's"
check...
Excelsior!
11 - RJ
They found 3 WMDs in Iraq.
One was named Queefie
Another was named Uday
And the last was named Saddam
12 - Dave Nalle
Exactly, Mark. The usual political spin and misrepresentation is NOT the same thing as the 'big lie' as practiced by moveon.org, some folks on the far right, and Josef Goebels. We expect our politicians to take the facts and tweak them to fit their positions. Anyone can sort of filter through that and come up with the nugget of truth. What we often aren't prepared for is the wholesale fabrication of alternate realities and giant lie structures which are the basis of propagandistic misinformation campaigns.
Dave
13 - gonzo marx
Mr Nalle sez..
*'big lie' as practiced by moveon.org, some folks on the far right, and Josef Goebels*
ok..now i can just about agree...tho i don't think EVERYTHING "the far right" or movon.org says falls into this category..the vast majority just seems to be positioniing and propaganda...
but i can easily agree that there is quite a bit of the "big lie" in the two factions you are speaking about
my BIG problem here, taking the last statement as a Postulate is this..
one is a political action committee and website...
the other is running the White House, Senate and Congress...
nuff said?
Excelsior!